‘Shocked’ Abrahams sacked by Chippa

Farouk Abrahams says he was fired as Chippa United coach yesterday because of a section of disgruntled Chippa players.

Abrahams became the fourth man in the Chippa coaching merry-go-round to be fired this season, shortly before the club announced that Ajax Cape Town assistant coach Wilfred Mugeyi will take over the role after signing an 18-month deal.

This will be Mugeyi’s first head-coaching role in the PSL.

It is believed that Ian Gorowa will replace Mugeyi at Ajax as part of new coach Jan Versleijen’s technical team. Gorowa, a former deadly Cape Town Spurs striker, was assistant coach at Ajax under Muhsin Ertugral when the club won the Absa Cup in 2007, before coaching stints at Moroka Swallows and Mamelodi Sundowns.

“There was an issue that was raised about a week ago that certain players were not happy with certain things,” Abrahams told the Cape Times yesterday. “It ended up being those players who we as a club had decided might either go on loan or train in a separate squad.”

By mid-afternoon yesterday, Chippa boss Chippa Mpengesi had not spoken to Abrahams, with the former goalkeeper being informed of his sacking by the club’s general manager, Wanda Mbenguzana.

Abrahams, who in December was given a long-term contract, lasted eight matches, and boasted the best record of his predecessors. He managed five draws, a victory and two losses and also brought a semblance of sanity and stability to the club.

But it seems this wasn’t good enough for the trigger-happy Mpengesi, who previously fired Mnqoba Mngqithi after two games at the start of the season. “It was a shock. Yesterday we welcomed OJ Mabizela and I had a nice chat with the chairman,” Abrahams said.

“The chairman came out to support me in the matter of the players, and said we must focus on the job at hand and take the team forward. And I thought that was it. But on Monday night, I got a call that the player issues had flared up again.